Indian River's first brewery on tap to open Sunday

<p>Alden Bing, owner of the Orchid Island Brewery, demonstrates how he measures the alcohol content of the beer. Bing said the theme of the brewery is citrus-treated beers, using fruit from Indian River County. (SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)</p>

A sign listing beer flavors hangs in the new Orchid Island Brewery, located at the intersection of Flamevine Lane and Ocean Boulevard in Vero Beach. The brewery, owned by Alden and Valerie Bing, will offer beers such as the grapefruit-flavored Star Ruby IPA, as well as the locally named Jungle Trail Black IPA. (SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

Alden Bing pours a glass of Star Ruby beer at the new Orchid Island Brewery. The brewery, located at 2855 Ocean Drive, will feature beers flavored with local citrus grown in Indian River County. (SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

Indian River County’s first craft brewery, Orchid Island Brewery, is opening Sunday. The brewery and its small taproom are located in the Portales de Vero building at the corner of Ocean Drive and Flamevine Lane in Vero Beach.

Vero Beach native Alden Bing, who owns and runs the brewery with his wife Valerie, said what makes their beers different is the local citrus.

“Our motto is from Indian River groves to glass craft beer project,” Alden Bing said. “Our beers are going to be very dependent on the citrus produce available during the season.”

When the brewery opens Sunday, it will feature its Star Ruby, an imperial India pale ale zested with ruby red grapefruit.

The next beer Bing expects to brew is their Citron beer — a farmhouse-style saison zested with different citrus, including lemons or honeybell oranges. Lemons will be in this batch, he said.

“We’re going to be adding on capacity,” Bing said. “We’re adding more fermenters in the next couple months and we’re going to progressively expand our offerings.”

Bing also hopes to start distributing in the future and has a contract with West Palm Beach-based Brown Distributing.

Orchid Island Brewery is the Treasure Coast’s second brewery. The first was Sailfish Brewing Company, which opened in April 2013 in Fort Pierce.

And the region’s third brewery could open in time for Labor Day weekend in Sebastian.

Pete and Lynn Anderson are awaiting final inspections and will soon announce an opening date for their nano-brewery and brewpub, Pareidolia Brewing Co.